IHopeIGetIt

I admit that I almost job hopped myself out of my nursing career because of my anxiety. My suggestion is to definitely analyze why you left that last job. Was there something else you could have done? Be brutally honest with yourself because you don't want a repeat. I realized that I was reacting emotionally instead of responding to my issues. I will never make the right decision that way. Once you know why you do something, then you can make a conscious decision to do things differently. I Am now on medication. I am changing all negative self-talk with positive. I reflect after every shift and I run my decisions through a more grounded person. I've already avoided one bad decision and I feel like I'm on the right path for me. My two points are: if I was able to get hired again after job hopping (several jobs in a course of 2 years) then you can after only one misstep and make a conscious effort to do things differently (whatever that means for you).

Different hospitals do different things. I was wondering if anyone who works in their hospital's float pool or knows someone who does can chime in on this one. How does your float pool work? What is starting pay? Can you work as many hours as you want? What are the mininum hours necessary? Are your hours guaranteed or can you be called off? If you commit to fulltime hours, do you get benefits? Do you float daily or are you assigned to a unit for a period of time? Do you float in the middle of your assignment and how many times per shift can this happen? Do you float to one or more hospitals within your system? What qualities and personalities work best in the float pool? What is orientation/training like in the beginning? Is experience required for hire? Please write down what hospital you work at and if you are med surg and/or critical care, or ltac. Thank you in advance.

Me too! Visual learner here

The therapy? Do you know someone who has tried it?

appreciate both your comments and I have to say that although I'm sorry you guys have been in the same situation, it feels good to know that some people understand because they've been through it. My most recent fail, I wish I didnt have to put it on my resume but it's on my credit history. So once they check that, they'll see I omitted and then have cause to fire me, the wording in the tiny print of applications withstanding. But yes, educate myself with CEUs, hospitals with newer nurse programs, and a smaller hospital if possible. Great advice, thanks. What are those newer nurse programs called? Do you mean the ones for nurses wanting to go back to bedside after doing another specialty?

I've also considered volunteering at our free clinic here, which is affiliated with one of the two major hospitals in my city, but I have a 2 year old and I cant afford to pay for babysitting for a free gig.

I'm 42. I still have at least 20-30 years left before I'd want to retire. As much as I'd like to use that reason, I don't think 2 months is long enough to decide that I didn't have the opportunity to grow professionally. I'm in the process of working with vocational rehab but my counselor is encouraging me to move away from nursing. I'm not adverse to that but I at least want to give it a real chance before I make that determination and I don't think i have. I'm also considering just staying put in my current PDN position for a couple years to show that I can be loyal and stable however I'm afraid if I stay too long in this position I may not be able to go back to bedside. That is what's really lighting the fire under my butt. That and the fact that I'm having a hard time being still; I only work 1-2 days per week. I'm wondering if I go back to school for a BSN will that make me more marketable? Because vocational rehab would pay for that I'm sure.

Backstory: diagnosed with Bipolar 2/GAD. Have been an RN for 3 years but have been job hopping and feel like I'm getting to the point where I can't get hired. First 3 hospital jobs were cardiac stepdown; spent 2 months at the first two and 6 months at the last. Tried LTC (2 mos.), pediatric psych hospital (2 wks), and currently doing PDN part time while on disability. My work history has been very spread out. Have been doing PDN for almost a year now but I'm going stir crazy. My reasons for leaving each job varied somewhat but boiled down to not being able to handle the combined stress of work, home, life in general, and all the extra that pops up. I tend to react to the stress as opposed to responding. I started my last hospital job last year being proactive; I had my psych doctor with meds and weekly therapy sessions and I did well at first. Received nothing but compliments from patient and families and most staff. Constructive criticism was met with action plans and positive change. I was extremely anxious but I was dealing; it helped to hear from the other nurses that they felt the same way and I wasn't alone. However, all the extra started happening (i.e. hurricane accompanied by PTSD as I had been in another hurricane the year before and lost everything, among other things) and I just ran (running meaning not only leaving the job but moving). I completely enjoy nursing, bedside nursing in particular, and there is still so much that I want to try but it seems a nurse needs acute care experience to do most anything else outside of LTC and Home Health. I have the opportunity to go back to my previous hospital job, or at least interview, and although I would love to, I am extremely hesitant because I can't afford another repeat. I've been brainstorming and besides trying med surg (because that step down unit was more like ICU with higher nurse patient ratios), I feel like I need a plan for when things start to go south. I feel like that might be what's missing besides some good old fashion resilience. I need to also work with the therapist in identifying what is exactly triggering me and what that looks like in terms of symptoms so the action plan can be used appropriately. My questions are: How do I explain the job hopping during an interview? What else can I do to be successful?

http://www.gcorr.org/why-its-so-hard-to-talk-to-white-people-about-racism/ Please read

Can't requesting only working day shift be considered an accommodation for bipolar or depression because of the reasons given above?

I have Bipolar 2 and anxiety. As a new nurse, I tried acute care on a cardiac unit, looked into the nursing home, and psychiatric nursing in an inpatient facility. Personally, you have to look at your career from a more holistic view. It's not the type of nursing, per se, that may be the wrong fit. I have found that where I fit in was dependent on many things not just one. I was in the hospital for two months before I gave notice. Not because acute care wasn't for me although I really didn't like the 12- hour shifts. At the time, I had moved my family to a new state, I had a new career and job, temporarily living in an extended stay with one of my children having Asperger's, no family in the area, and no insurance for 60 days (so no medication or therapy). Had it been under better conditions, I believe I could have thrived in the hospital. With the nursing homes at which I was offered positions, the orientation time was too short for me and I knew it would be too stressful. As far as the inpatient psych facility, the orientation was all over the place; I was never with the same preceptor, on the same floor, or even the same shift twice. I asked to have a more stable orientation but was denied. I enjoyed both places that I worked and the staff was great but after setting myself up for failure that first time, I wasn't willing to do it again. I have since found flexibility, good pay, and a chance to hone some more acute nursing skills with home health nursing working with both geriatric and pediatric clients- one patient at a time, part-time hours with full-time pay, and none of the stress. My schedule, once I go back from maternity leave, is whatever I want- as few or as many clients as I want. It will work out great with a newborn and a breastfeeding schedule as well as graduate school eventually. However, I am also getting weekly therapy as I am a little limited as far as medication is concerned for the near future. My support system is in place, though, and my life is just more stable. I found what worked for me at this stage in my life and it's totally not where I thought I'd be while in nursing school. My point being: your condition doesn't define you although it needs to be controlled in order to be successful. In my opinion, it's not about what specialty or field works best for your condition but what works best for you as a whole.

Georgia does ask the question. It is worded: "Do you currently possess any condition which may in any way impair your ability to practice or otherwise alter your behavior as it relates to the practice of nursing?"

How long after you applied did you get a call back? Thank you

Have you already graduated? Or do they accept current nursing students in their last semesters? Thank you

Hello, I was wondering if someone could tell me when you applied earlier this year for the residency program. Also, are you able to apply while still a student? I'm trying to prepare for next year. Thank you.